Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Yekaterina Merkulyeva was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She graduated with honors from the piano department of the Rimsky Korsakov College of Music under Galina Orlovskaia. She studied composition with Yuri Falik in the Saint Petersburg conservatory where she graduated in 1983. Ms. Merkulyeva’s Carnival Overture for Symphony Orchestra was performed at the 19th Leningrad Spring Music Festival also in 1983. Her various compositions include piano, chamber, orchestral, vocal and choral music. Her compositions of modern and ensemble folk music have been performed in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. Her composition style combines traditional Russian folk music with Great Russian music of the 20th century. Ms. Merkulyeva taught composition in the Saint Petersburg Music School, and numerous music festivals and concerts have featured her students’ compositions. Additionally, she has taught piano, music theory, keyboard harmony and composition at the Bronx Music School/Mercy College. Upon her arrival to New York in 1990 she performed her pieces on the program “The Vera Allik Show” (on WEBR-CA, Channel 17). Her compositions were performed in the Nicholas Roerich Museum concert hall and at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium in the concert “Bridge,” featuring new and contemporary music by American and European composers. In 1999 Ms. Merkulyeva became a member of the Piano Teacher Congress of New York and joined the New York Composers Circle as a composer member in 2006. In 2007 her composition “Mirage” was performed in the concert “New Music” at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space from the New York Composers Circle by Vassa Shevel. In 2010 her music has been performed by different pianists such as Maxim Anikushin in the “XXth century Russian Music” at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, and by Vassa Shevel in Steinway Hall. In 2012 “Mirage” was also performed by Maxim Anikushin in Carnegie Hall. In 2014 Ms.Merkulyeva became a member of the New York Women Composers Inc. In 2015 Vassa Shevel performed Ms.Merkulyeva's works in the concert "Russian Composers living in America" at the Center for Jewish History. The World Premiere of "Masks and Miracles" was performed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Brewster, NY in September 2015 by Vassa Shevel. "Masks and Miracles" also was performed by Vassa Shavel in February 2016 in the concert "New Music" at Saint Peter's Church Citigroup Center. In 2017 Maxim Anikushin performed some pieces from Russian-American Suite by Ms.Merkulyeva in Springtime Concert at Saint Frances Cabrini Shrine. Ms.Merkulyeva is continuing to compose songs, music for piano, and for other instruments as well and also maintains her private teaching practice.
To The Victors to Victory
Year: 2015
Duration (in minutes): 0:03:24
Difficulty: Low (student/pedagogical)
Score PDF: to_the_victory_to_victors_23-5.pdf
Description: To The Victors to Victory, is a song for voice, chorus, and keyboard. The lyrics were written by poet Mark Mordukhovich. This song is dedicated to commemorate the Ally veterans during World War 2.
Masks and Miracles
Year: 2013
Duration (in minutes): 0:14:17
Difficulty: High (professional)
Category: piano
Score PDF: mask_and_miracles_score-5.pdf
Description: Masks and Miracles is a musical fantasy that describes the different emotions I get from life in New York City. These emotions come from reality, fantasy, miracles, and my strong sense that dreams come true through hard work and with the help of God.
Our Father
Year: 2010
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:30
Difficulty: Low (student/pedagogical)
Category: choral
Score PDF: our_father-5.pdf
Description: Our Father is a church chorus, and it is written in the traditional style of Russian Christian Orthodox Music.
Piece for Clarinet and Piano
Year: 1992
Duration (in minutes): 0:05:00
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Score PDF: clarientte_and_piano-5.pdf
Description: I wrote this piece for the clarinet and piano back in 1992 when I took a walk for the first time in the central park zoo during the summer listening to the birds and enjoying the weather.
Mirage
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:05:31
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: scans-07-15-2014-171019-5.pdf
Description: Mirage is a romantic fantasy that describes different emotions, both fear, excitement, alienation, and hope battling at once with each other to someone who recently arrives from the Soviet Union and enters and experiences the incredibly energetic, frenetic, unpredictable, and yet sometimes even dangerous city we live in. This piece is composed in a mirror image form A-B-C-B-A.
Epic Story
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:02:34
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: epic_story-5.pdf
Description: This piece "Epic story" is from a Suite for piano. I composed this piece after reading a Russian folktale about a hero named Ilya Muromets, and his adventures.
Fantastic Bells
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:53
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: fantastic_bells_score-5.pdf
Description: Fantastic Bells is a piece from Suite for Piano. Fantastic bells is a piece I wrote after vividly dreaming of a different reality.
Lamentation
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:02:43
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: lamentation_score-5.pdf
Description: Lamentations is a piece from Suite for Piano. The music of this piece combines traditions from Russian folk lamentation songs with Contemporary Music of the 20th century.
Holiday Fair
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:53
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: holiday_fair-5.pdf
Description: Holiday Fair is a piece from Suite for piano. I wrote this piece after taking a walk in a Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park.
Scomorohi
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:00:59
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: scomorohi-5.pdf
Description: Scomorohi-jugglers is a piece from Suite for piano. The word
Schomorohi in Russian means clowns or jugglers who performed in the Medieval ages during carnivals and other special events like weddings.
Chruch Bells
Year: 1990
Duration (in minutes): 0:06:41
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: church_bells-5.pdf
Description: Church Bells is a piece for piano. Russian Church bells in addition to Church service were used during times of celebration, tragedy, and any important life-changing events.
Epic Tale
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:03:45
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral
Score PDF: epic_tale-5.pdf
Description: The Epic Tale is a song from Suite for Choral Ensemble written on the Russian folk text from the 17th century. The music of this chorus combines traditions from Russian epic folk songs with the Contemporary Music of the 20th century.
Jesting Song
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:40
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral, solo instrument other than piano
Instruments: percussion
Score PDF: jesting_song-5.pdf
Description: The Jesting Song is from the Suite for Choral Ensemble based on Russian folk text from the 17th century. The Jesting song is about the adventures of a roach, and how he roams the kitchen for 40 years.
Lyric Song
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:04:31
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral
Score PDF: lyric_song-5.pdf
Description: Lyric Song is from the Suite for Choral ensemble based on Russian Folk text from the 17th century. This sad song includes lamentations and is a story about how one man in the 17th century was unkind to his mother and made her work hard in the field.
Masks and Miracles
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Mask and Miracles (2013) performed by Vassa Shevel, piano, at New York Composers Circle concert, February 2016
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1QcVxm-my4
Mirage
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Mirage performed by pianist Maxim Anikushin in 2012, Long Island, NY.
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EppgeBBs3d8
Church Bells and Holiday Fair
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Pianist Vassa Shevel plays Church Bells and Holiday Fair from Piano Suite by Yekaterina Merkulyeva.
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sobsLsEiUdc
To The Victors to Victory
Year: 2015
Duration (in minutes): 0:03:24
Difficulty: Low (student/pedagogical)
Score PDF: to_the_victory_to_victors_23-5.pdf
Description: To The Victors to Victory, is a song for voice, chorus, and keyboard. The lyrics were written by poet Mark Mordukhovich. This song is dedicated to commemorate the Ally veterans during World War 2.
Masks and Miracles
Year: 2013
Duration (in minutes): 0:14:17
Difficulty: High (professional)
Category: piano
Score PDF: mask_and_miracles_score-5.pdf
Description: Masks and Miracles is a musical fantasy that describes the different emotions I get from life in New York City. These emotions come from reality, fantasy, miracles, and my strong sense that dreams come true through hard work and with the help of God.
Our Father
Year: 2010
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:30
Difficulty: Low (student/pedagogical)
Category: choral
Score PDF: our_father-5.pdf
Description: Our Father is a church chorus, and it is written in the traditional style of Russian Christian Orthodox Music.
Piece for Clarinet and Piano
Year: 1992
Duration (in minutes): 0:05:00
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Score PDF: clarientte_and_piano-5.pdf
Description: I wrote this piece for the clarinet and piano back in 1992 when I took a walk for the first time in the central park zoo during the summer listening to the birds and enjoying the weather.
Mirage
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:05:31
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: scans-07-15-2014-171019-5.pdf
Description: Mirage is a romantic fantasy that describes different emotions, both fear, excitement, alienation, and hope battling at once with each other to someone who recently arrives from the Soviet Union and enters and experiences the incredibly energetic, frenetic, unpredictable, and yet sometimes even dangerous city we live in. This piece is composed in a mirror image form A-B-C-B-A.
Epic Story
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:02:34
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: epic_story-5.pdf
Description: This piece "Epic story" is from a Suite for piano. I composed this piece after reading a Russian folktale about a hero named Ilya Muromets, and his adventures.
Fantastic Bells
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:53
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: fantastic_bells_score-5.pdf
Description: Fantastic Bells is a piece from Suite for Piano. Fantastic bells is a piece I wrote after vividly dreaming of a different reality.
Lamentation
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:02:43
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: lamentation_score-5.pdf
Description: Lamentations is a piece from Suite for Piano. The music of this piece combines traditions from Russian folk lamentation songs with Contemporary Music of the 20th century.
Holiday Fair
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:53
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: holiday_fair-5.pdf
Description: Holiday Fair is a piece from Suite for piano. I wrote this piece after taking a walk in a Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park.
Scomorohi
Year: 1991
Duration (in minutes): 0:00:59
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: scomorohi-5.pdf
Description: Scomorohi-jugglers is a piece from Suite for piano. The word
Schomorohi in Russian means clowns or jugglers who performed in the Medieval ages during carnivals and other special events like weddings.
Chruch Bells
Year: 1990
Duration (in minutes): 0:06:41
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: piano
Score PDF: church_bells-5.pdf
Description: Church Bells is a piece for piano. Russian Church bells in addition to Church service were used during times of celebration, tragedy, and any important life-changing events.
Epic Tale
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:03:45
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral
Score PDF: epic_tale-5.pdf
Description: The Epic Tale is a song from Suite for Choral Ensemble written on the Russian folk text from the 17th century. The music of this chorus combines traditions from Russian epic folk songs with the Contemporary Music of the 20th century.
Jesting Song
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:01:40
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral, solo instrument other than piano
Instruments: percussion
Score PDF: jesting_song-5.pdf
Description: The Jesting Song is from the Suite for Choral Ensemble based on Russian folk text from the 17th century. The Jesting song is about the adventures of a roach, and how he roams the kitchen for 40 years.
Lyric Song
Year: 1983
Duration (in minutes): 0:04:31
Difficulty: Medium (college/community)
Category: choral
Score PDF: lyric_song-5.pdf
Description: Lyric Song is from the Suite for Choral ensemble based on Russian Folk text from the 17th century. This sad song includes lamentations and is a story about how one man in the 17th century was unkind to his mother and made her work hard in the field.
Masks and Miracles
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Mask and Miracles (2013) performed by Vassa Shevel, piano, at New York Composers Circle concert, February 2016
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1QcVxm-my4
Mirage
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Mirage performed by pianist Maxim Anikushin in 2012, Long Island, NY.
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EppgeBBs3d8
Church Bells and Holiday Fair
Composer: Yekaterina Merkulyeva
Description: Pianist Vassa Shevel plays Church Bells and Holiday Fair from Piano Suite by Yekaterina Merkulyeva.
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sobsLsEiUdc